With thousands of new eco-minded houses being built, and the real estate market becoming more attuned to home-buyers' interests, demand for ecologically efficient living spaces is still exceeding the supply. This practical, reader-friendly guide gives readers all the guidance they need to easily become ecologically responsible homeowners.
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
PART 1: FINDING, FINANCING, AND BUYING AN ECO-FRIENDLY HOME 5
Chapter 1: Finding and Qualifying for Eco-Friendly Financing 7
Understanding Leverage, Appreciation, and Equity, 9
Qualifying for a Mortgage, 10
• The Importance of Your Credit Score, 12
• Improving Your Credit Score, 14
• Correcting Credit Problems, 15
• Determining How Big a House Payment You Can Afford, 15
Getting an Energy Efficient Mortgage, 17
• Obtaining a Home Energy Ratings Systems Report, 18
• Shopping for the Best EEM Deal, 20
• Steps to Getting an EEM, 21
• Finding a Lender with the Best Deal, 21
• Avoiding Garbage Fees, 24
• Negotiating Lender Fees, 24
Case Study: How It All Works, 26
Chapter 2: Finding and Working with an Eco-Friendly Agent 29
Finding an Eco-Friendly Agent, 30
• Beginning Your Search, 30
• Narrowing Your Search to an Agent Who Shares Your Dream, 32
• The Buyer’s Agency: Who Does the Agent Represent?, 34
Working with Your Agent to Find Green Properties, 36
• Buying a Fixer-Upper, 40
• Buying a Foreclosure to Rehab Can Be Tricky, 41
• Eleven Things to Consider Before Making an Offer, 42
Shopping for an Eco-Friendly Home on Your Own, 43
• Making an Offer on a Home That’s For Sale by Owner (FSOB), 45
Chapter 3: Buying a Green Home 49
Learning About Eco-Friendly Homes, 50
Successful Strategies for Making an Offer on a Home, 51
• Deciding What to Offer on a Home, 52
• Handling an Overpriced Home, 54
• Making It Easy for the Seller to Accept Your Offer, 56
• Protecting Yourself When You Make an Offer, 57
Getting the Seller to Pay Concessions, 58
Getting the Seller to Pay All or Part of Your Closing Costs, 60
• Seller Allowances, 61
• Concessions Due to Inspection Problems, 62
• Appraisals and Repairs, 62
• Combining Grants and Seller Concessions, 63
Filling Out the Purchase Agreement Paperwork, 63
Buying a Home Warranty Can Save You Money, 64
• How Home Warranties Work, 65
• What to Look for in a Home Warranty, 65
Taking Advantage of Bank REOs and Short Sales, 66
• Buying REOs, 67
• Short Sales, 68
PART 2. BUILDING AN ECO-FRIENDLY HOME 71
Chapter 4: Finding and Working with a Green Builder 73
What Constitutes a Green Home?, 74
• Minimum Green Building Standards, 74
• Confusion in Green Building Standards, 75
Planning Your Environmentally Friendly Home, 76
• Does It Cost More to Build Green?, 77
• How Much Money Do You Have to Work with?, 78
• Why Use an Architect?, 79
Finding and Working with a Green Architect, 80
• Finding a Green Architect, 80
• Questions to Ask During Your Interviews, 81
Finding and Working with a Green Builder, 82
• Finding a Green Builder, 83
• Questions to Ask During Your Interviews, 84
• Deciding on Which Bid to Accept, 85
• What If You Can’t Find a Green Builder in Your Area?, 85
Protecting Yourself with Good Paperwork, 86
• Paying the Contractor and Managing Your Costs, 88
• Adding Sweat Equity to Your Project, 88
• Shopping for a Green Home in a New Subdivision, 89
• Eight Things You Should Check Out Before You Commit, 89
Chapter 5: Planning Your New Green Home 93
Utilizing Passive Energy Saving Options, 94
• Positioning Your Home for Southern Exposure, 95
• Creating an Energy Efficient Floor Plan, 96
• Designing for Efficient Air Distribution, 97
• Installing Energy Efficient Windows, 98
• Using Green Heating and Cooling Technology, 100
• Installing Green Insulation, 102
Ventilating Your New Home, 105
• Causes of Poor Air Quality, 105
• Incorporating a Whole-House Ventilation System into Plans for Your Home, 106
• Home Ventilation Standards, 107
Determining Whether Solar or Wind Power Are for You, 107
• Generating Solar Power, 108
• Generating Wind Power, 109
Using Sustainable Products and Cutting Costs, 110
• Doing the Up-Front Work, 110
• Handling the Tradeoffs, 111
Avoiding the Seven Biggest Mistakes That
Many New Green Homeowners Make, 112
Chapter 6: Green Landscaping 115
Creating a Landscape Plan of Action, 116
• Using Xeriscaping Principals, 117
• Planning a Landscape, 117
• Utilizing Seven Design Elements of Eco-Friendly Landscaping, 118
• Considering Whether to Hire a Professional Designer or
Landscaper, 120
Working with Your Soil’s Characteristics, 123
• Getting to Know Your Soil, 123
• Determining Your Soil’s pH, 124
Determining Where and What to Plant and Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid, 125
Planning a Sustainable Landscape, 127
• The Art of Composting, 127
• What to Feed Your Compost Pile, 128
• The Value of Mulch, 129
• Fertilizers and How to Reduce the Need for Them, 129
Applying and Conserving Water, 131
• Determining When to Water, 132
• Using the Right Type of Irrigation System for
Your Location and Needs, 133
• Capturing Water for Garden Use, 134
• Recycling Water for Landscaping, 135
PART 3: REMODELING TO MAKE YOUR HOME ECO-FRIENDLY 137
Chapter 7: Planning Your Green Remodel and Working with a Green Architect and Contractor, 139
Financing Your Green Remodeling Project, 141
• Home Equity Lines of Credit, 142
• Refinancing Your Mortgage, 143
• Second Mortgages, 143
• Miscellaneous Sources of Remodeling Funds, 144
Planning Your Green Project, 144
• Finding a Green Architect, 144
• Handling Trade-Offs, 145
• Planning Tips and Traps, 147
Finding and Working with a Green Contractor, 148
• Shopping Tips for Finding a Contractor, 149
• Deciding on which Bid to Accept, 151
• What If There Are Few Contractors in Your Area?, 152
Minimizing Problems with Complete and Accurate Paperwork, 153
Paying the Contractor and Managing Your Costs, 154
• Cost-Plus or Time-and-Materials, 154
• Fixed-Fee Agreement, 155
• Capped Cost-Plus, 155
• Other Ways of Managing Your Costs, 155
Handling the Final Walk-Through and Punch List, 156
• Before the Final Walk-Through, 156
• The Punch List, 157
Chapter 8: Remodeling Your Home’s Exterior with Eco-Friendly Materials
Making Your Roof Eco-Friendly, 160
• Finding a Quality Roofer, 162
• Taking Advantage of Green Roofing Options, 163
• Insulating and Weatherproofing Your Roof, 164
• Using Flashing to Prevent Water Damage, 165
Replacing Your Siding with Eco-Friendly Materials, 166
• Insulating Your Walls, 166
• Protecting Your Home with Housewrap, 167
• Making Use of Green Siding Options, 168
Upgrading to Energy Efficient Windows, 170
Using Eco-Friendly Stains and Paints, 172
• Selecting Green Stains and Sealers, 173
• Choosing Green Paints, 173
Building an Eco-Friendly Deck, Patio, or Fence, 175
• Adding a Deck Using Green Materials, 175
• Constructing a Patio as an Alternative to a Deck, 176
• Building a Fence with Green Products, 177
Recycling and Disposing of Construction Waste, 178
Chapter 9: Remodeling Your Home’s Interior with Eco-Friendly Systems and Materials 179
Ventilating Your Energy Efficient Home, 180
• Designing a Whole House Ventilation System, 181
• Minimizing Humidity in Hot and Humid Climates, 182
• Installing Ventilation Systems in Other Areas of Your Home, 182
Upgrading Your Heating and Cooling Systems to Make Them Energy Efficient, 183
• Considering Green Heating Options, 183
• Replacing Your Water Heater, 186
• Upgrading or Installing an Energy Efficient Fireplace, 187
• Reducing Your Air Conditioner Usage, 187
• Finding a Competent HVAC Contractor/Installer, 188
Choosing and Using Eco-Friendly Stains and Paints, 190
Selecting Eco-Friendly Floor Coverings, 191
• Shopping for Environmentally Friendly Carpeting, 191
• Choosing Between Vinyl Flooring and Linoleum, 192
• Consider Tile for Your Floor Covering, 193
• Contemplating Wood or Laminate Flooring, 193
Remodeling Your Kitchen Using Green Appliances and Materials, 195
• Picking Out New Green Appliances, 195
• Upgrading Your Kitchen Cabinets, 196
• Replacing Your Countertops, 197
Upgrading Your Bathroom with Eco-Friendly Fixtures and Materials, 200
• Replacing Toilets, Showers, and Sinks to Conserve Water, 200
• Shopping for Bathroom Flooring, 201
• Changing Your Bathroom Cabinets, 201
• Replacing Your Bathroom Lights, 202
Appendix A: Tips on Selling an Eco-Friendly&